Hit all balls into crowd to disrupt play?

[avmoghe]

So, the US Open apparently has a policy to let the crowd keep the balls that are hit into the crowd? How many "backup" balls do they keep to replace these lost balls?

Hypothetically, if someone was getting tired and wanted to take a break (longer than the changeover), couldn't he just keep "accidentally" shanking balls into the crowd till they run out of balls?

At some point, I'd imagine someone has to send a ballboy off to leave the court/stadium to get a refill from the main stash of balls (wherever this may be).

Or is this 'refill from the main stash of balls' of balls done far too quickly to be able to disrupt play? (i.e. - if it only takes like 1 minute to do a re-up of balls, it really wouldn't be worth doing).

I'm thinking if the refill process takes 10 mins or longer, it might be worth pulling off. What does everyone think?

 

[Feña14]

You'd think it would be a good plan, they have loads of balls already on court though (both new and old) so they wouldn't be able to pull it off.

 

[CallOfBooty]

if you are a pro its pretty hard to shank every single time. plus why would you give up points if you are tired? just blast winners on one or two points if you get tired and rest up... unless you are on a service game where you can pull a djokovic

 

[avmoghe]

if you are a pro its pretty hard to shank every single time. plus why would you give up points if you are tired? just blast winners on one or two points if you get tired and rest up... unless you are on a service game where you can pull a djokovic

I could imagine somebody giving up a set with massive ball shanking and then getting a good 10-15 minute break (while their ballboy does a refill from the main stash) to relax for the next set.

 

[jergosh]

Wouldn't they get a ball abuse warning or whatever eventually?

 

[canadave]

Wouldn't they get a ball abuse warning or whatever eventually?

Yes, they would. Besides, they wouldn't "run out of balls." Nice try on the idea though

 

[maddogz32]

you guys dont understand that this is the usopen. when they start looking low on tennis balls they call in for a new box before the old one is even out. they could have it out there in just 2 minutes, and no if a player wanted more time he wouldnt shank all the balls into the crownd because then he would lose all of those points.

 

[ihearit1st]

I got to peak at some stuff at the Open this year, and the official's office is in Arthur Ashe, so close that it would take 60 seconds for the umpire to get out of their seat, go inside and come back out. Not that they would have to though. They keep so many balls on court. They have to plan that the match will go 5 sets 7-5 or 7-6 in each set, so they will never run out. Plus, if the player is that desperate to catch their breath, they probably aren't going 5 sets anyway.

 

[ihearit1st]

And they have to figure they'll get some bad balls, some will be hit out of the stadium as well.

 

[Jay_The_Nomad]

no if a player wanted more time he wouldnt shank all the balls into the crownd because then he would lose all of those points.

Not really. The player could always baseball whack those serves that are faults.

There are bound to be plenty of faults in a match.

 

[Wes_Loves_Dunlop]

do you see the big red wilson tank next to the ump?
im pretty sure that whole thing is filled wth balls.
and if you use up that entire tank, im pretyt sure you would lose the match by then or you would be kicked out

 

[woodrow1029]

The chair umpire brings enough balls planning on the match going 6-7, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6 plus 2 extra cans (6-7, 7-6, 7-6 in best of 3 set matches). Additionally, 5 or 6 used balls of different wear are brought the court every match. Every time there is a ball change, there are 6 more used balls.

Also, the umpires' lounge (where the balls are kept) is in Armstrong Stadium, not Ashe. The referee's office is in Ashe right off the court, but that is not where the umpires and the balls are.